Sardinia & Corsica - Costa Smeralda, the Maddalenas & Strait of Bonifacio - Golden Glow Posted on August 27, 2015 by Ellen in Italy , Italy , Sailing , Travel // 0 Comments Sardinia overflows with scenic splendor. In an earlier post, we shared how sublimely beautiful we found the Golfo di Orosei to be, and how much we loved being there, especially after the day-trippers departed. It turned out to be our favorite cruising spot in Sardinia, and now that we’ve left Italy, we can say it was our favorite sailing destination in all of Italy. We found other gorgeous places in Sardinia, namely Costa Smeralda, the Maddalenas, the Straits of Bonifaccio, and the southern coast of Corsica too. I debated doing a separate blog post on each region, but we’re already in Greece now and falling behind on covering where we’ve been, so I’ll share a bit on each, though less than their beauty deserves.

Megayachts in Porto Cervo private villas on Costa Smeralda Costa Smeralda After leaving the Golfo di Orosei with our dear friend Joanne, visiting from California, we sailed farther north up the east coast of Sardinia to Costa Smeralda, which is about 35 miles of coastline closer to the north end of the island. The “Emerald Coast” is where the super-rich come for the high season from June through August. When I did my research before Joanne’s visit to find the most beautiful and best sailing areas in Sardinia to take her, Costa Smeralda was number one on many lists. Joanne did her homework too, and the place she also heard about as “the” place to go was Costa Smeralda . Since the Aga Khan built a villa here in the early 1960’s and started inviting all his friends, this jagged section of granite coastline has become home to a high-end summer resort lifestyle. The area has many lavish villas and high fashion shops, and in the high summer season, it is frequented by expensively attired, richly bejeweled jet-setters.

Porto Cervo is the most famous port on the Costa Smeralda and people go there to hob-knob with the rich and famous and even royalty (Hollywood and monarchies). We pulled in to check it out, but its fancy marina and hustle and bustle held no attraction for us. Cost aside, the main negative of Costa Smeralda is actually a surplus of its riches. Its popularity and easy access via road have made many of its beaches and bays crowded. This sounds crazy, but you see so many megayachts on Costa Smeralda that you stop gawking. Okay, well maybe we did look twice at this megayacht – after its deck-mounted helicopter took off. It’s hard to believe that these megayachts are personal boats. We were at customs and immigration in one port and the agent for a megayacht was checking it in. Immigration asks you to designate crew and passengers separately. We overheard her say there were 44 crew aboard and only 2 passengers. Perhaps a few could come to Goldem Glow and feed us peeled grapes -they wouldn’t even be missed!

the clear water of Costa Smeralda If you get away from Porto Cervo and the megayacht scene, you’ll find what we liked best about the Costa Smeralda. The Mediterranean Sea in this area is unlike anywhere else. The color ranges between turquoise and a deep green that brings sparkling emerald jewels to mind. Luckily for us, on Golden Glow we can get where the megayachts cannot. We glide into small, quiet coves where we find wonderfully uncrowded beaches, few other boats, and peace and quiet to enjoy that magnificent emerald water. We found one bay in particular that became our favorite secret spot (we’ll share its coordinates if you email us). Golden Glow in the Emerald water This hidden bay offered us the ideal anchorage: shelter from winds and waves, a gorgeous and calm bay to paddleboard and kayak to our hearts’ content, excellent holding for our anchor on a sandy bottom, water that was so clean and clear that we could see all the way down to the anchor 18-20 feet below. And last but not least, there was fast, free wifi in the bay, perhaps thanks to one of the multi-million dollar villas along the shore kindly or forgetfully keeping access open.

The network was called “home.” Golden Glow in the background and our kayak in the foreground There was a small beachside resort at one end of the bay, so Joanne and I paddled in to check it out one evening. The beach and beach bar and restaurant were closed for the evening; food and drinks were now being served in the formal dining room in the hotel. The hotel manager happened to be on the beach with another person and he was very friendly. He let us know that we could have day passes for the beach, including beach lounges and towels, for only 200 euros a person and we could have 4-hand massages on the beach for 400 euros for 60 minutes. We did not take them up on these offers, but we had a marvelous time sharing their bay for a few days. After chatting with the manager for a while, he must have thought Joanne and I had sailed from the USA (since Rand was back on the boat). The next day, a German hotel guest kayaked out to Golden Glow saying she wanted to meet the two ladies who were sailing around the world. Oops.

The Maddalenas Leaving Costa Smeralda, we sailed further north to the north coast of Sardinia where we entered the Maddalena archipelago. This area is a marine preserve and you have to pay $50 a day to sail or anchor there. Three separate rangers asked to see our permit in a single day so the rules are enforced. On a one-day pass, you can arrive the night before and stay until 9 am the following day. You can use this link to apply for a permit online . Some of the islands have pebbly beaches and other have ones of soft white and pink sand. Unfortunately, the beaches on the main island of Maddalena were littered with trash as soon as you went past the narrow beach area to the rocks behind. We wonder if that’s because this island is the only one that’s populated. We didn’t linger long on Maddalena island due to its noise and garbage. Instead, we sailed to several more remote islands in the Maddalenas and spent most of our time near Isola Santa Maria and Isola Spargi.

These islands are close to Isola Budelli, where so many tourists were taking away the pink sand that the whole island has been off-limits for several years. Our favorite feature of the Maddalenas were the unique and dramatic rock formations, eroded by millennia of winds and waves. We kayaked to explore them and were able to pull close enough to jump off the kayak and climb around the rocks. But overall, we found the Maddalenas to be a bit disappointing, mainly because of the effect of man on these islands. This is a fairly new marine preserve, only about 20 years old. Let’s hope over time that the environment will become cleaner and that boat traffic will be better controlled and trash problem cleaned up. After the serenity and more dramatic scenery of the Golfo di Orosei, and the lush magnificence of the Costa Smeralda, both of which didn’t cost us a euro, we found our short stay in the Maddalenas time enough.

Pink sand beach in the Maddalenas An area of the Maddalenas where the water was beautiful emerald color and clean sailing through the strait of Bonifacio to Corsica after leaving the Maddalenas Strait of Bonifacio From the Maddalenas, we first sailed west to enjoy some nice beaches on the north coast of Sardinia. All the beaches in this area are magnificent. The key is to go to the ones that don’t have roads leading to them from land so there aren’t many people. The more populated beaches are umbrella cities and the snack bars and loud music give them a completely different atmosphere compared to the hidden beaches that retain their natural beauty. After exploring a few beaches and coves on the north end of Sardinia, we sailed northwest across the Strait of Bonifacio t o the French island of Corsica. The 7-mile wide strait separates Corsica from Sardinia and divides the Mediterranean Sea on the west from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the east. The strait is notorious among sailors for its weather, currents, shoals and other obstacles. For Golden Glow, the winds brought us excellent sailing conditions.

Corsica Approaching the southern coast of Corsica, you have to be careful to keep your eyes open, follow channel markers and your charts to avoid the hazardous shoals and rocks extending far out into the strait. Along the whole southern coast, there is only one harbor you can pull into for shelter if you need it. The harbor is called Bonifacioand it is dramatically positioned at a cut in the coastline of chalk-white, 230 ft high, limestone cliffs. The city of Bonifacio is split into two sections. The old town is set on a promontory overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and the upper or high city is opposite that. The city and its fortifications also extend for some distance along the edge of the cliffs, which have been undercut by the ocean so that the buildings appear to overhang it. We would have liked to spend more time here too, but we had to get Joanne back for her flight back to the States, and then get to Rome to pick up Savannah and Hunter. Sardinia remains high on our list of favorite destinations and a place we look forward to returning to for a longer stay.

Saililng up the narrow ravine to the town of Bonifacio Approaching Corsica Corsica (I) Corsica (I) Cruising Log of Corsica (I): Sailing in Corsica and Sardinia Contributed By: Jacques & Nita Steininger - Santa Barbara, California - June 2001 My wife Nita and I just completed a two-week reciprocal charter on OUVEA, a 1999 Moorings 464 based in Ajaccio. We sailed for two weeks in the Med along the islands of Corsica and Sardinia and through the Straits of Bonifacio. Ajaccio, the birthplace of Napoleon, is halfway down the West coast of Corsica. It's a typical French Mediterranean town with a pretty harbor surrounded by restaurants, bars and stores. The base manager, Hubert, and his assistant, Christine, are very friendly and fluent in English (his wife is British). The boat was in excellent condition and we had no technical problems during our cruise. After flying in on Air France from Paris on Wednesday May 30, we kept the boat at the base for the first three days, using it as a floating hotel.

One reason was that all the hotels on the island were full of tourists due to the long Pentecote (Whitsunday) holiday weekend. The first day, we got our bearings and visited the town. We were also lucky to enjoy the annual Fishermen Festival with a boat parade and blessing of the fishing fleet, street dancing, free champagne (this is France!) and a free fish fry. Around Corsica For the next two days we rented a small car, a Peugeot 106 for about $50/day and drove to the northern part of the island, taking the main road over the mountains to Corte and Bastia. On the way, we stopped to visit a turtle farm sanctuary. We also had a delightful lunch of Corsican lamb stew at a nearby restaurant called Chez Martin. For the night, we stayed at the elegant Castel Branco hotel ($90) in Erbalunga at the beginning of Cap Corse. Dinner was at La Corniche restaurant, high up in the mountains above Bastia. The next day, we drove around scenic Cap Corse with its many old Genoese watch towers.

Then back through St Florent (where we bought some Corsican wine), the old city of Calvi (home of the French Foreign Legion) and to Ajaccio. The roads were good except for the coastal road from Calvi to Ajaccio which was very narrow and winding. Before returning the rental car the next morning, we did our provisioning at the Carrefour supermarket, about a mile away from the marina. Sailing from Ajaccio to Propriano June 3rd, our first day at sea was quite exciting. We sailed from Ajaccio to Propriano, about 30 sea miles south. There was an advisory "coup de vent" but we were getting harbor fever and left anyway. The wind started at a pleasant 12-15 knots but it quickly increased to 30 knots with gusts of 40. I didn't expect that in the Med! The good thing was that we didn't have the big swells that we get on the ocean. The waves and breakers were impressive but Ouvea handled it well. We anchored for lunch in Campomoro Bay in the Gulf of Propriano.

Then we motored on to spent the night in the safety of Propriano harbor. Because of the sea conditions, the harbor was already full and we had to tie up to a powerboat for the first night. The marina was the most expensive we've seen at FF 410 (almost $60) and badly in need of maintenance. We were told that the harbor runs a $500,000 deficit, which is quite a mystery. But we were also told that wise men don't get involved in local politics in Corsica, especially if they want a chance to see their grand children! Monday June 4, we relaxed in Propriano, sampling the different restaurants and waiting for the weather to settle down. From Propriano to Bonifacio Tuesday June 5, the wind had indeed completely died down and we enjoyed a quiet 20-mile motorsail down to Bonifacio, a large city located at the southern end of the island. That's one thing you can say about the weather in the Med: it changes rapidly! We then had our first experience with stern-to Med-style docking!

It's not a polite operation like in Gustavia on St Barth, where everybody tries to keep their distance from other boats. Here, you get all your fenders out and push your way in, between other boats. Usually other cruisers take your line and help you tie to the dock. As long as you take it easy and don't cause any damage, it's OK to touch and push other boats. Don't call your lawyer either when other boats do it to you! Anyway, it creates a lot of excitement and very often starts good friendships with people from different countries. This way, we met great people from England, Australia, Denmark, Holland, Germany and of course, France and Italy. Bonifacio is a beautiful old town with a natural harbor built in a deep and well-protected bay with high cliffs. The views are incredible. The harbor fees were more reasonable, 240 FF (about $35) with free water and a small charge for 220V electrical hookup, which we didn't need. The harbor is well maintained with dozens of restaurants located right off the dock.

Crossing to Sardinia Wednesday June 6, we had a nice and easy sail (12-15 knots of wind) across the Straits of Bonifacio to Santa Teresa in Sardinia (Italy). Santa Teresa has a new marina with a friendly staff that help you dock your boat, straightening you out with their dinghy and catching your lines. We were told that this is standard practice in Italy to reduce problems with inexperienced cruisers. Since both Corsica (France) and Sardinia (Italy) are in the European Union, there was no need to go through immigration and customs. The dock fee was LI 67,000 (about $30), including water and electricity. By the way, all the marinas and most stores and restaurants accept credit cards. The marina is a little distance from the center of town (about 1 mile) but it's a nice walk. On Thursday June 7, we had our best sail yet, about 20 miles through the Maddalena islands to Porto Cervo on the Costa Smeralda.

A beautiful sunny day, the wind was a perfect 15 to 20 knots and the sea was calm thanks to the protection of the islands. There were all kinds of boats around us and several regattas. This was as close as it comes to sailor's heaven! However you have to watch your navigation because of the confusion of islands, rocks and deep bays. Porto Cervo Porto Cervo Marina is a deluxe development built 20 years ago by the Aga Khan and several partners. You see the best boats in the Med and the fanciest fashion stores: Gucci, Escada, etc. The dock fees were less than we feared, only LI 100,000 (about $45). Across our dock, was an American sailor, John, a civil engineer, who lives there and was involved in the original development of the resort. The boat next to us also belonged to an American family from Chicago who had been cruising the Med on their own boat for 4 years, commuting back and forth every year. They were very interested in hearings about the Moorings owners program. The marina where we stayed was very quiet because even though it was June - the real summer season had not started yet.

The supermarket was closed and there were no restaurants nearby. The walk to the "old" harbor (Porto Vecchio), where all the fancy stores and restaurants are located, is over a mile around the marina and up the hill. In season, there is a free ferry to take you across but then the marina gets awfully crowded. Visiting Sardinia We rented a small Fiat Panda car for LI 90,000 (about $40/day) and drove the next day across the island to Castelsardo, a beautiful old Genoese fort built on a high rock on the western side of the island. The scenery was spectacular. We stopped in Tempio to visit prehistoric tombs and habitations (1,200 to 1,800 BC). We found friendly multilingual people everywhere. Porto Vecchio, Corsica Saturday June 9, we left Sardinia early at 6:00 AM for a 30-mile crossing back to France, in Porto Vecchio, on the East Coast of Corsica. The wind picked up about 9 A.M. and we had a nice sail for a couple of hours.

Porto Vecchio is deep inside a 4-mile long gulf and therefore completely protected from the sea. We again docked stern to in windy conditions but with some help from the harbormaster. The fee was FF 230 (about $30), again including water and electricity. The harbor has the usual selection of bars, restaurants and stores. We had lunch at a small restaurant in the harbor and then walked up to visit the old citadel. It was very touristy. We did our email with the usual Internet connection at a Bureau de Tabac (tobacco store) and had drinks on the church square. We had dinner at U Burgu, an excellent restaurant overlooking the harbor. The menu includes such exotic items as wild boar (sanglier), ostrich and kangaroo, but we stayed with more traditional mussels and fish. Sunday, June 10, we left Porto Vecchio in a light drizzle to sail back to Bonifacio through the Straits of Bonifacio that separate Corsica from Sardinia. The Straits of Bonifacio Navigating the Straits was no problem. You have to be careful with your navigation because of all the small islands, rocks, etc.

Luckily, The Moorings gave us a very good set of charts and an excellent Coastal Pilot book (in French). The danger points are well marked. I kept my trusty hand-held Garmin 48 GPS with me in the cockpit to check our position at any time. Anyway, I was a little apprehensive as we left at 8 AM because the weather had turned cloudy and rainy. However, the sea was pretty smooth and we rounded the Perdido and Lavezzi islands in 10-12 knots of wind from the East, under full sails. As soon as we passed the Straits, the wind picked up instantly to 20 knots and I had to reduce the genny in a hurry. It was still blowing 18-20 knots when we entered Bonifacio harbor, so we took our time picking up our docking space. We ended up backing up in an S-course into an upwind spot. The boat backs up well and is easier to control going to windward. A 46-foot boat may feel small in the Caribbean but in the small Med harbors, it looks and feels huge, especially with only the two of us on board.

We docked again right in front of Restaurant Row and the CyberCafe. We were able to find Internet access points everywhere on the islands, at reasonable charges of about $3-5 per hour. In Corsica and France, France Telecom also has self-service Internet computers in bars and other stores. You just insert a phone debit card to get connected. The next day, we had to wash the boat which was covered with red sand from a Scirocco wind that had blown in overnight all the way from the Sahara desert in Africa. We had a nice dinner at the Albatross restaurant, just 50-ft from our boat. One of the best restaurants we've found! The weather forecast for Monday was not too great, due to another rapidly moving depression with W winds in the 20 to 30-knot range. This means that we would have a wet and bouncy ride up the coast back to Propriano or Ajaccio. A couple of boats that ventured out of the harbor turned around when faced with 25-knot winds and large seas just at the entrance of the harbor. So we decided to stay put and relax in that beautiful city. The weather had completely calmed down by Tuesday morning.

In fact, the wind had turned 180 degrees again to the East, which assured us of an easy ride. So, we left early by 0600 and made the 50-mile run straight back to Ajaccio, where we were supposed to return the boat by 5 PM. We had a good run, mostly motoring and a little bit of sailing. Around Propriano, we were inspected from a distance by a boat of the Douanes Francaises (French Customs) but we just waved at them and they left to check other boats, looking for smugglers from Sardinia and other countries. Since we averaged 6.5 knots of speed, we were at the entrance of the Gulf of Ajaccio by 12 noon. This gave us plenty of time to stop for lunch and a nap in the Anse de Portigliolo, just East of Pointe Castagna. This bay is very popular with boaters, especially on weekends and they have installed moorings, like the ones in the BVI. This is the only ones we have found in any of the French islands.

These moorings are very well spaced and maintained, with excellent double mooring lines attached to floaters (watch for your prop!). We got to Ajaccio's old harbor by 5 PM and went directly to the fuel station to fill up the tank. The station is awkwardly situated in a tight area, especially for a 46-ft sailboat with a crew of two. The not-very-friendly attendant said they were still open but made no effort to help us dock. Maybe because it was just near closing time! A French woman from another boat came to take up our line while the attendant was just watching us and chatting with his buddies! When I went to pay, he said the credit card machine was "en panne" (out of work) and I had to pay cash. It was only FF 584 (about $ 75) and I had cashed French money the day before at one of the numerous ATM machines. So I said no problem and he agreed saying that only death was a problem! A strange fellow, indeed. Return to the Base The Moorings docks were nearly empty on a Tuesday since most charters are from Saturday to Saturday.

In fact, it's a very short week since you're supposed to get on the boat only on Saturday 3 PM, return to the base by Friday 5 PM and be off the boat by 8 AM Saturday when their cleaning crews take over. A boat that returned late on Friday night was given a dressing by the base manager, because a diver checks the hulls on Friday night only and doesn't work on Saturday. Some customer service! This is the only bad part about the operation here, together with the communications. First, the manager told me that they don't monitor the VHF "since it works only 10 miles". They give you the base phone number, which is fine in an emergency if you have a cellular phone (like all Europeans). Even if you do however, the office is staffed only on weekends and you get a recording in French telling you to call the manager on his cellular phone. This may explain why even The Moorings base in Florida had a hard time reaching them and messed up the reservation for our charter. This is something that definitely needs improving. They also don't do formal briefings like they do in the Caribbean.

The Manager told us that: "The French know it all, the Germans will do just the opposite of what you tell them and only the Americans request them". By the way, the bases in most of the Med are operated by Moorings Sail Med, which is a separate company and a licensee of The Moorings. This may explain some of their idiosyncrasies. All in all, our charter was a very good experience and we can recommend it highly. The scenery on both islands is beautiful, the sailing is great and the harbor life, a unique experience, unlike anything in the Caribbean or Pacific islands. But make sure to go in a relaxed frame of mind. You're not in Kansas anymore and you have to adapt, because they sure won't adapt for you. AND don't go in the summer season when it becomes a mad circus of overcrowded harbors and anchorages. June and September are probably the best months, with warmer water to be expected in September. Resources Strait of Bonifacio (between Corsica & Sardinia) - YouTube Strait of Bonifacio (between Corsica & Sardinia) Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video?

Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jun 19, 2013 We passed through this strait during the MedSeA cruise, 2013. The Strait of Bonifacio is the strait between Corsica and Sardinia, named after the Corsican town Bonifacio. It is 11 km (6.8 mi) wide and divides the Tyrrhenian Sea from the western Mediterranean Sea. The strait is notorious among sailors for its weather, currents, shoals, and other obstacles. Category Sailing around Corsica | JimB Sail Home » Mediterranean » West Med » Sailing around Corsica Sailing around Corsica French Corsica (together with Italian Sardinia) offers some of the most pleasant cruising grounds in the western Mediterranean, especially with nearby Elba (see W Italy section), and the straits of Bonifacio. There are hundreds of coves with brilliant white beaches, little intrusive development, plenty of anchorages and good marinas. The island can be circumnavigated day sailing.

Allow two weeks for only the highlights; but you can easily fill four weeks or more. Some older town centres are very attractive. Some of the most dramatic coastal scenery of the Mediterranean can be seen along the west coast. Periods of brisk westerly winds add excitement, some swell on the west coasts, and strong winds between the islands and past the north cape (Cape Corse). The whole area is very busy in peak season. Corsican separatists have been active in recent years. Corsica Winds The sunny season is long, with only occasional interruptions of unsettled weather, May to early October. Summer winds around Corsica include periods of strong westerlys - an extension of the Mistral. These blow particularly strongly (F7 is quite common and F 9 not unknown) past the north cape of Corsica, and between Corsica and Sardinia in the Bonifacio Strait. Otherwise, quite brisk sea breezes characterise afternoons on the west coasts. Frequent winter Mistrals make winter sailing around W Corsica very uncomfortable indeed, with big winds and significant swell.

Corsica - When to Sail During peak season (French and Italian holidays; mid-July to late August) the cruising area between Corsica and Sardinia becomes over-crowded. Book ahead or arrive early to guarantee marina space. The shoulder seasons (the further from the peak the better) are still busy, but cruising is then much more relaxed. Corsica Harbours and Anchorages On this page, harbours and anchorages are listed anti-clockwise from Bastia. This uses prevailing sea breezes best. Ports are busy in high season, and it's best to book ahead if your French is reasonable: South Corsica ports contact details Bastia to Cap Corse harbours The coast from Bastia to Cap Corse is easily reached from the Tuscan islands, and can make a good one week tour for a short charter from Elba. North from Bastia there are several quiet sandy coves, good for lunch stops. Bastia, Vieux port, is a delightful place to stop, with a lovely old town centre and a lively market, but it's never easy to find a berth.

If you do find one, and feel like a really good meal, 'La Citadelle is recommended - not cheap, but very good. It's in the centre of the 'La Citadelle' on the south side of the old port. Port Toga 3km north of Bastia has big supermarket nearby. If you have a day to spare, take the train over to Ajaccio and back to see some stunning scenery. Macinaggio. Anchoring off is a possibility if the marina is full. This is a good spot to wait if the mistral is doing its periodic westerly blast past Cap Corse. The West Coast ports of Corsica The West Coast of Corsica from Cap Corse to Ajaccio passes some brlliant white sand beaches and holiday country, then leads to some of the most magnificent mountain scenery in the Mediterranean, often with a wind from aft. Centuri is a tiny but very pretty harbour just around the top pf cape Corse. No room for visitors. St Florent has a large marina. If full, there are reasonably sheltered anchorages just west, subject to some refracted swell. This is a pleasant holiday town with good nearby beaches.

The main square comes to life in the evenings as families stroll around the cafés and restaurants. L'Île Rousse has a marina with sheltered anchoring nearby. Beaches. The coast from L'Île Rousse to Calvi is serious holiday country, with many coves and beaches between the two towns. Some are quiet, others are hidden beneath rows of brollies and chairs. Both towns are lively in the holiday season. These beaches are exposed to NE sea breezes which pick up most afternoons. Calvi looks really beautiful as you approach it, and an interesting town, not to be missed. It's full of restaurants and cafés, but, as usual in holiday towns, the best value for money lies in the back streets, away from the sea views. The marina at Calvi is likely to be full in season unless you arrive early, but there are plenty of buoys at a reasonable price (includes use of toilets, dinghy mooring when going ashore and water). Alternatively, anchor outside the mooring field. Good shopping for provisions, chandlers and repair facilities.

Réserve Naturel de Scandola ' 12nm SW of Calvi along the coast is a stunning a headland of amazing slabs of multicoloured rocks, clefts and caves rising straight out of the sea, rich with rare wild life. Just before the Reserve, there is a good, quiet anchorage at Galéria. Seals and dolphins are common around here, and some osprey. Girolata is a tiny village only accessible by sea with some well organised moorings. It's just south of the impressive Ile de Gargalu. In peak season trippers crowd the place by day, but many disappear at night, leaving a quiet bay in a lovely stetting. The restaurants are nothing special. Cargèse is a good visit, with a cemetery right by the harbour and two churches, Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox facing each other across the valley. Uniquely (probably), they share the same priest. Take exercise by climbing to the village to a supermarket. Buy enough and they bring you and the shopping back to the boat.

Porto, at the head of the gulf just south, is an anchorage only in fair winds with some shallow berths, but again, stunning scenery - especially the needles of pink granite on the south side as you exit the gulf. It's misnamed on the map - cross off the "pollo" bit! Sagone anchorage and moorings are quiet at night after the day boats and water skiers have gone. Ajaccio is a good stop when going north or south having two marinas (crowded in high season, as usual round here) and an area for anchoring off the town. Wintering is feasible, with the airport close by; but book well ahead. From the north you approach around the Iles Sanguinaires – so called because of the reputation for taking lives. Anchoring is possible in settled weather. Harbours from Ajaccio to the Straits of Bonifacio. There are several anchorages leading to the Golfe de Valinco, and in the Gulf, several more, so it is usually easy to find one sheltered from the wind of the day Propriano at the head of the gulf is a holiday destination, with first class beaches nearby.

It is quite likely to be full in season and can be expensive. Porto Pollo, on the north as you enter the gulf, is better, offering free hot water showers and a superb Spar supermarket. On the map, it's position is wrong! The Straits of Bonifacio Westerly winds through the Bonifacio straits, channelled between Corsica and Sardinia, often reach F7. This area is a popular cruising ground, sharing the extensive Maddalena and Lavezzi Arhipelagos, together with a host of local anchorages on the main island coastlines. Bonifacio, at the southern tip, is a 'must see', just for its exotic cliff-top setting above layers of limestone carved by the strong straits winds. The harbour is excellently sheltered, and the town above (big flight of steps to climb) is an interesting place to explore. Restaurants and cafés up top are much better value for money than the posh joints around the marina.

The Lavezzi Archipelago, east of Bonifacio, offers some challenging pilotage around the nature reserve (great for rock dodgers) a 3nm x 2nm mass of islands, islets, rocks and lovely small anchorages. The area is 'regulated' to control potential damage to the sea bed. North of the Lavezzi, after the first rather muddy inlet, is a 20nm succession of spectacular bays and beaches until the Golfe de Pinarellu. Some are big, some small. Golfe de Porto-Vecchio is the biggest inlet, with a marina , a brilliant turquoise bottom, lots of anchoring space, and some fine stretches of sand, although ugly developments spoil parts of the shoreline. The town of Porto-Vecchio is a lively holiday resort. Watching smart Italians displaying around the square of the old town is good entertainment in high season. Hundreds of makes of beer available at the noisy 'Pub de Bastion' in the NE corner of the old town. Corsica - East Coast Marinas If you're returning north to Elba after cruising S Corsica, use the east coast. It's less interesting, but easier than beating north along the west coast against the sea breezes.

After the Golfo Pinarellu, There are two marinas in the middle of nowhere in particular, thus reasonable value: Solenzara is a thriving, pleasant small town with good provisioning and chandlers. Marina is suitable for economic over-wintering; travel lift. Campoloro (PortoTaverna) is somewhat sleepy. The bottom is thick glutinous mud and the entrance can get blocked by decaying seaweed. Its main attraction is its proximity to the south of Elba and lower prices. Try the Cinderella restaurant. Summary Attractions. Circling the island with a two or three week cruise is very rewarding, with lots of variety. Stunning west coast scenery, white sand beaches, picturesque holiday towns. Snags. Peak season crowding. Ports of Entry. Rarely needed, most major ports - as apart from marinas. Layup or Wintering. Ashore or afloat, Ajaccio. But book well ahead. Solenzara Transport. Year round scheduled flights via France, plus seasonal charter flights to UK Boat Charter. Limited, from Bonifacio.

Earth Snapshot • Strait of Bonifacio December 23rd, 2009 Category: Image of the day Sardinia and Corsica - November 17th, 2009 The islands of Sardinia (below), belonging to Italy, and Corsica (above), belonging to France, are separated by the Strait of Bonifacio. It is about 7 miles (11 km) wide and divides the Tyrrhenian Sea from the western Mediterranean Sea. The strait is notorious for its weather, currents, shoals, and other obstacles. Mountains comprise two-thirds of Corsica, forming a single chain, some of which is capped with snow in this image. Monte Cinto is the highest peak at 2,706 metres (8,880 ft), and 20 other summits reach higher than 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). The coasts of Sardinia (1,849 km long) are generally high and rocky, with ample and deep bays and inlets surrounded by smaller isles.

The center of the island is occupied by the Gennargentu, a large mountain massif whose highest peaks are Punta La Marmora (1,834 m), Monte Limbara (1,362 m) and Mount Rasu (1,259 m). The island’s massifs and plateaus are separated by large alluvial valleys and flatlands; the main plains are the Campidano, located in the southwest between Oristano and Cagliari, and the Nurra, in the northwest. August 10th, 2009 Category: Snapshots Corsica, France - July 28th, 2009 The French island of Corsica , called Corse in French, is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is 183 kilometres (114 mi) long at longest, 83 kilometres (52 mi) wide at widest. The island has 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) of coastline with more than 200 beaches.

Corsica is located 90 kilometres (56 mi) from Tuscany in Italy and 170 kilometres (110 mi) from the Côte d’Azur in France. It is separated from Sardinia (partially visible on the bottom edge) to the south by the Strait of Bonifacio, a minimum of 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) wide. The island is very mountainous, with Monte Cinto as the highest peak at 2,706 metres (8,880 ft) and 20 other summits of more than 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). Mountains comprise two-thirds of the island, forming a single chain. Forest comprises 20% of the island. Approximately 3,500 km2 (1,400 sq mi) of the total surface area of 8,680 km2 (3,350 sq mi) are dedicated to nature reserves, mainly in the interior.

March 2nd, 2009 Category: Image of the day Sardinia, Italy - February 26th, 2009 Sardinia (in Italian: Sardegna) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily), with an area of 24,090 square kilometres (9,301 sq mi). The island is surrounded by the French island of Corsica to the North, from which it is separated by the the Strait of Bonifacio, and the Italian Peninsula to the East. Sardinia is a constitutional part of Italy, with a special statute of regional autonomy under the Italian Constitution. Sardinia is a generally mountainous island with a few coastal plains. The island’s mountains are divided into three ranges; the highest peaks are in the middle section of the island. The island has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry, windy summers and very mild winters. The climate in the mountains tends to be wetter and cooler than the lower coastal plains; and winter snowfalls are not uncommon in the higher peaks. Here, some snow caps one peak near the center of the island.

Corsica (in French: Corse) is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the 26 regions of France, although strictly speaking Corsica is designated as a “territorial collectivity” by law. Corsica is 183 kilometres (114 mi) long at longest, 83 kilometres (52 mi) wide at widest, has 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) of coastline, more than 200 beaches, and is very mountainous. Here, the mountains near the east coast are clearly visible, while the west coast is partially obscured by a triangular cloud formation. Corsica Sardinia Straits - YouTube Corsica Sardinia Straits Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jun 28, 2014 Simon Murie and Tom Hudson swim the Strait of Bonifacio, 17 June 2014 Category

Question: Which straits separate Corsica and Sardinia?
Answer: (Straits of) Bonifacio